Easter Bonnets

[poliphilo]

It suddenly came to me. That last picture I posted- of my paternal grandmother and her siblings: it's not fancy dress they're wearing- it's not quite mad enough for that. No, this is Eastertide- and those are Easter bonnets and Easter frocks and my great grandmother has marched the kids down to the photographer's shop to have their pictures taken before anything got muddied or creased.  The little boy (he's called Harold btw) is also dressed for Spring in his natty suit and straw boater.

It used to be the thing, back in the 19th century, that you got a new set of clothes at Easter- and everyone went to church to show off - and over time that morphed into a tradition of parades with floats and flowers being chucked about and girls wearing silly hats. My great grandfather was a draper- and I suppose that would have given the family a head start in the devising of extravagant costumes...

Comments

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

That makes a lot of sense! The dresses and hats are decidedly Eastery.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

One forgets how important these traditions used to be.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Up in Manchester, we got our new dress and shoes for Whitsun. We'd wear them for the first time in the church Whitsun processions, then they'd become regular Sunday Best.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I remember those Whit Walks. I was a clergyman in the Manchester diocese from 1976-86 and the old traditions were still observed- and still a very big thing in the lives of the church people.